Needle



A. J. OLSEN Jm 2Q, 19%

.NEEDLE led Jan. 2, 1932 Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES ARTHUR J. OLSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PERMO PRODUCTS CORPORA- PATENT OFFICE TION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COBPORATION OF ILLINOIC NEEDLE Application filed January 2, 1932. Serial No. 584,350.

The invention relates to improvements in styli or needles for sound reproducing and recording devices and particularly to a sound reproducing or recording needle having an improved alloy metal wear-resisting recordengaging portion.

An object of the invention is to provide a needle of the character referred to with an improved record-engaging portion, which is not susceptible-to rust, corrosion, or misshaping during continued use.

Another object is to provide an improved needle of the character referred to having a body formed of either unalloyed metal, or metal alloy, such as steel, nickel, or copper, and a nib or point of hard material, such as for' example, a hard wear-resisting alloy metal known to the trade as Ramet, including tantalum carbide and a binder of nickel, wherebymaterial wear of the needle is practically eliminated and the volumeof sound reproduced or recorded thereby remains substantially constant during continued use.

Another object is to provide an improved needle with a very hard wear-resisting record-engaging portion shaped to remain in proper adjustment and outlive the usefulness of numerous phonograph records, or the like.

Another object is to provide an improved needle of the character referred to with a Ramet record-engaging portion ground to the requisite degree of fineness, whereby the volume and quality of sound reproduced or recorded thereby may be properly controlled.

Another object is to provide a needle of the character referred to having a Ramet record-engaging portion formed with means to insure the necessary flexing of said needle laterally or 'transversely of the record groove to effect full tone reproduction.

Another object is to provide a needle with an improved record-engaging portion formed of an alloy metal,'having no grain, adapted to receivea very fine finish and shaped to insure a smooth line contact with sound creating undulations forming the side walls of the groove in a record to minimize scratchingand record noises-and insure perfect reproduction or recording of sound.

Anotherobject is to provide a needle of the character referred to which does not materially wear the record, even after long contmuous service.

The foregoing and sucn other objects of the invention as will appear hereinafter as the description proceeds, will be more read- Fig. 4 is a; fragmentary view similar to a modified form of needle.

F i 1 showin ig. 5 is a ragmentary elevational view of a needle having an arrow-shaped head.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the needle shown 1n Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a framentary elevational view of a modified form of needle.

Fig. 8 is a similar fragmentary elevational vieEv v of another form of needle.

ig. 9 is a fragmenta rs ective view of a needle formed from it s toc k.

Figs. 10 and 11 are front and side elevational views, respectively, of areproducing needle, embodying the improved record-engaging portion.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a modified form of cutting needle.

The invention resides in'the provision of an improved'needle for use in reproducing or recording sound from undulations forming the side walls of a groove in a record. Needles of known types usually are formed with a shank, tapered at one end to a point or edge,

adapted for engaging in the groove. Such and wearing down of the undulations, since the entire weight of the needle and sound box, because of such wearing, rests against the undulations.

Needles of this type and of types similar to those illustrated in the various figures of the have been provided with record engaging portions formed of various metals and alloy metals which, when properly 1 ground, serve satisfactorily for a period of time without requiring adjustment or replacement. Such metals or alloy metals heretofore used for rovidin a record-engaging portion on n' as, lack t e requisite fine texture necessary to provide a smooth highly polished finish necemary to prevent scratching and wearing down of the undulations in the record groove during continuous use. The improved material has no grain and is of an extremely fine texture, it being formed portion or shank 11, preferablyformed of 7 its edges to rovide a record-engaging portion hosphorous bronze, having a record-engag- 7 mg portion 12 fused or otherwise secured to one end. The record-engaging portion 12 preferably is formed of the improved hard wearalloy metal, knowntothe trade as Ramet including tantalum carbide with a binder of nickel. page-re the reccifdeng rtions o n as aving a oy metal tips df the character heretofore referred to have been formed of iridium, osmium, or other suitable hard material, but none of these contain the necessary degree of fineness in texture essential to full tone reproduction and recording. After the portion 12 is fused or otherwise secured to the shank 11, said shank-preferably is swedged, as at 13, adjacent the portion 12, as illustrated iii: 1 "35... a. d

v r sw e recor -engag1n portion 12 is ground on opposed sides and a round substanti y elliptical in cross section, as illustrated in Fig. 3, having a smooth end providing a substantially knife-like edge 14 for riding alongzthe bottom of the groove 15 in a record 16, whereby no appreciable weight is carried by the undulations forming the side walls 17 of the groove. Concentrating the weight of the needle and the sound box (not shown) upon the smooth bottom of the groove further the usual record noises, such as for example, surface scratch The swedged portion 13 of the shank 11 'nary type having a roun reduces flexing and vibration of the shank in a direction longitudinally of the record groove and provides fora limited amount of flexing transversely of said groove, which often is desirable to insure reproduction of full tone uality while using sound records having un ulations formin the side walls of the groove. It can readi y be'understood that the provision of a record-engaging portion formed of Ramet, having no sin and being of extremely fine texture, e iminates the usual record noises and maintains, because of its non-wearing qualities, a line contact with the sound creating undulations. Full tone qualities may be reproduced because all undulations are'readll contacted and sound is picked up or recor ed without distortion. 7

Due to the long wearing qualities of the record-engaging rtion 12 andthe elimination of wearing 'ction between the needle and undulations, the improved needle outlasts thousands of records and the records remain serviceable longer than when employing needles of the known type having 'wearresisting record-engaging portions formed of coarse, grained porous alloy metals of lesser degrees of hardness.

' Fi 4 shows a needle formed substantially like t at shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive. In this form the swedged ortion 13a is disposed at right angles to t e elli ticalrecordengaging portion 12 to insure exing of the needle lon 'tudinally .of the record oove, should suc flexing be requisite to per ect reproduction of sound from certain types of sound records. A

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate another type of reproducin needle, the body portion 11a. of which is ormed with a substantiall arrowshaped end 18. The arrow-shape end 18 pfe erably is tapered inwardly on all sides and a record-engaging portion 120 of Ramet is brazed or welded on its end. In a knife-like edge adapted to align with the groove of a record and ride along the bottom thereof.

The needle shown in Fi 7 is of the ordibody portion or shank 11b, tapered at 19 towards one end, and having a hard wear-resisting point 126 of Ramet, fused or otherwise secured thereon.

The needle illustrated in Fi 8 is similar in all res cts to that shown in ig. 7, exwpt that aim 1 point record-eng'a 'ng portion of the improved material a apts the needle for use on records having sound creating undulations on the bottom of'the record groove.

In the needle shown in Fig. 9, the'body or shank 114 is formed of flatstock having its end tapering to a substantially knife edged recordengaging portion 12d of the improved hard material.

edge and The needle shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is formed with a substantially triangular shaped Ramet record-engaging portion 21. In this form of needle the body portion 22 preferably is substantially square in cross section and the record-engaging portion is tapered on its two opposed sides 23 providinga substantially knife-like edge 24. One of the remaining sides 25 of the record-engaging portion also is tapered inwardly toward the edge 24 to reduce the length of said the frictional surface wear ng on the'record. This needle, in shape, is substantially like one form of needle used 1n recording sound on a record and the mproved Ramet record-engaging portion shown may be used for such work.

A form of cutting tool is shown in F1 12, said tool comprising a suitable round y portion 26 having an annular cutt ng edge 27, formed by recessing the end of a Ramet tip 28, fused on one end of the body portion.

Since the improved Ramet ing portion retains its proper shape and position relative to the groove indefinitely, the improved record-engaging portion does not scratch or cause undue wearing of the record. The Ramet record-engaging portion is practically indestructible,-havi ng a hardness of approximately 9.12, and as t is of extremely fine non-porous texture having no gra n, 1t providesa point that can be highlypolished to reduce further wear and scratching. The wearing qualities and reproduction service of the improved needle are far superior to any heretofore obtained in sound reproduction, and it is to be understood that the shank may, if desired, be formed of any suitable metal or metal alloy, such as steel or nickel, without sacrificing the advantages obtained thereby or departing from the spirit of the inventlon or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A needle having a tip of alloy metal 1ncluding tantalum carbide and nickel.

2. A metallic needle having a record-engaging alloy metal tip including tantalum carbide and nickel.

3. A needle for recording or reproducmg sound having, in combination, a metallic body, and a record-engaging alloy metal tip on said body including tantalum carbide and n ckel.

4: A needle adapted to co-operate wlth a oove in a record comprising, in combination a shank, and a record-engaging portion on said shank, said record-engaging portlon bein g formed of alloy metal including tantalum carbide and a binder of nickel.

5. A needle for'recording or reproducing sound comprising, a body, and a hard wearresisting alloy metal tip, including tantalum carbide and a binder of nickel, fused on one end of said body.

6. A needle for recording or reproducing sound comprising, a body, and a hard wearrecord-engag- 9. A needle having a record-engaging por- I tion of tantalum carbide and nickel formed substantially elliptical in cross section.

10. A needle having a shank formed of bronze, a wear-resisting record-engaging portion on one end of said shank, consisting of tantalum carbide and nickel, and means on said bronze shank to reduce vibration therein.

11. A needle, for a sound reproducing machine,-comprising, in combination, a round shank flattened and flared adjacent one end, and a record-engaging portion secured to said end, said record-engaging portion consisting of a hard alloy metal including tantalum carbide and nickel and being substantially elliptical in cross section and tapering towards its end to provide a substantially knifelife edge.

12. A needle, for sound reproducing machines, comprising,' in combination, a shank, a substantially flat wide portion adjacent one end of said shank, an alloy metal record-engaging portion fused on said end, said recordengaging portion including tantalum carbide and nickel and tapering towards its end to provide a substantially knife-like edge.

13. A needle comprising, in combination, a shank, a record-engaging end on said shank consisting of tantalum carbide and nickel, and a portion of said shank adjacent said recordengaging end being substantially flat to allow a limited amount of flexing of said needle.

14. A needle formed of comparatively soft material having a wear-resisting record-engaging portion on one end formed of a hard alloy metal including tantalum carbide and nickel, and means formed in said needle to insure limited rigidity thereof.

15. A needle for reproducing sound comprising, in combination, a body, a portion of said body being substantially fiat, said fiat portion tapering on all sides toward the same end, and a record-engaging portion on said tapered end formed with a substantially knife-like edge, said record-engaging portion being formed of a hard alloy metal including tantalum carbide and nickel.

16. A needle for recording sound comprising, a body, and a hard alloy metal tip including tantalum carbide and a binder of nickel fused on one end of said body.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 10 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois.

ARTHUR J. OLSEN. 

